Your Voice is Needed to Improve Drinking Water Funding in Illinois!
Everyone deserves access to safe, clean, and affordable water! Over the next few months, we will continue to share opportunities to speak out to improve how funding gets distributed to upgrade water systems to deliver safe and affordable drinking water. You can help us make sure the money reaches the communities that need it most by submitting comments. Last year, our comments helped win improved definitions of environmental justice as well as which communities receive technical assistance – and this year we can go further! Right now, Illinois’ annual plan is open for public comment until Monday, June 24th. Don’t wait — submit comments for Illinois today!
Michigan’s Line 5 Lawsuit Returns to State Court!
This week, the Michigan Attorney General’s lawsuit to shut down the Line 5 petroleum pipeline was sent back to state court by a federal appeals court, marking a procedural win. The 2019 case challenges the safety of the 71-year-old pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, with the Attorney General arguing that the state is obligated to protect the Great Lakes from potential environmental disasters. The case will now proceed in Michigan’s 30th Circuit Court. Freshwater Future will continue to keep you updated and ready for action on this issue.
This Week in Climate Change: Harmful Algal Blooms and Heat Islands
Earth has experienced 12 straight months of record-breaking heat, and this week brought a severe heat wave sweeping across the Great Lakes region. With temperatures soaring into the 90s F (>32 C), conditions are more likely to spur the growth of harmful algal blooms. These blooms, fed by nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, thrive in warm, slow-moving water, particularly in the shallow western basin of Lake Erie. This year’s bloom, predicted to be moderate to larger than moderate, could lead to oxygen-depleted dead zones, impacting local ecosystems, wildlife populations, and water quality. You can monitor harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie using NOAA’s bloom watch.
State of Michigan Offers New Grants For Community Groups
Michigan currently has two grant programs open for applications. The focus of the grants is to address environmental health burdens and inequities in the state. The first program, the Environmental Justice Impact Grants offer up to $500,000 per applicant to support community projects aimed at improving public health, pollution monitoring, indoor air quality, and blight cleanup. Applications are due by July 15th. The second program, the Michigan Justice40 Accelerator, is a 12-month program providing $25,000 in grants and technical assistance to only 25 community-based organizations. Applications are due by August 1st.
